Anne Sullivan is a survivor to the core. She had a sad childhood, being forced to grow up in an almshouse surrounded by illness, filth, and death, and then losing her younger brother. She is still haunted by her harsh youth; however, she has become stronger through these trials, as can be seen by her conduct in the play.

She knows Helen can have more independence in life than the Keller family thinks. Helen's mind is clear and keen, so Anne is determined to make sure she can have a chance to have a full life with her physical disabilities.

We can see Anne's determination in her lessons with Helen, who is not exactly a model of good behavior. The scene where Anne tries to get Helen to eat properly is a great example of this. Instead of giving up, she is more than Helen's match and eventually gets her to eat with a spoon.

We also see how Anne's confidence in her ability is able to withstand skepticism and even derision from others, particularly from men who already patronize her as a woman. Helen's brother and father are vocal about their lack of faith in Anne's teaching. They find her too hard and ineffective because she isn't getting results right away, and her rough ways seem cruel to their eyes, since they think Helen can never be a full human being. However, Anne keeps her head high and goes with what she believes will eventually reap fruit, not what her clients think she ought to do.

Finally, we see Anne's vulnerabilities in her flashbacks to her childhood, where she lost her brother and begged to be able to go to school so she could escape perpetual dependence on other people. She fears that failing Helen would be in a way like failing her dead brother, and it would be final, damning proof of her own insecurities getting the better of her.

Annie Sullivan is a determined woman.  She does not give up, even when her efforts do not work right away.  She is patient, and does not get easily frustrated.  She also suffers from a lingering sadness due to her unpleasant childhood memories.

Annie's determination is revealed in Act II of "The Miracle Worker."  Helen tries to take food off of Annie's plate with her hands.  Annie refuses to let the child do this.  Helen's family had let her do this every day for years.  Despite protests from Helen's parents, Annie will not let Helen touch her food.  Each time Helen reaches to grab food off Annie's plate, the woman physically stops her.  Helen becomes upset, but this does not phase Annie.  She is determined that Helen's bad manners will stop that day.  Soon Annie attempts to have Helen eat with a spoon instead of her hands.  Annie places the spoon in her hand and Helen tosses it away.  This happens many times.  Annie's determination will not let her give up.  After many attempts, "Annie, with Helen's hand, takes up another spoonful and shoves it into her open mouth. Helen swallows involuntarily."  The battle is still not over, but progress has been made.

Patience is another quality that Annie possesses.  She spells words into Helen's hand over and over again, but the child does not understand.  Annie displays patience.  She does not get angry at Helen for not understanding.  Instead, she patiently tries again.  She does this until Helen learns that each word means something.

Annie is a woman who suffers from sadness.  She had been sent to an almshouse with her brother as a child.  She cared for him as best she could, but he still became sick.  He eventually died.  Throughout the play, Annie has flashbacks to conversations with her brother.  These memories haunt her.

Describe Annie Sullivan. What kind of a young woman was she? Cite three examples from the play to support your views.

Annie Sullivan is a 20-year-old woman from Massachusetts. Having experienced the loss of sight and receiving help at her school, she has empathy for Helen and the desire to help her. Annie is an orphan who grew up poor. She values education and independence and has the courage and fierce determination to stand up to bullies like Captain Keller. Smart and systematic, she develops and applies a teaching method that ultimately succeeds.

When the reader is first introduced to Annie, William Gibson describes her eye condition as trauchoma, a condition that has caused growth on her eyes. Following her brother’s death, she grew up at the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston. As she prepares to leave for her new job, she tells the director that living there “taught her what help is.”

Annie’s first few days in the Keller home do not go smoothly due to Helen’s acting out and the family’s indulgence of her behavior. At the table, when Annie insists on keeping the plate that Helen has upset, Captain Keller starts ordering her around. She refuses his orders, challenges the idea that she should “pity” Helen, and asks him to leave the room so she can teach Helen.

Annie’s method is to teach Helen letters by spelling into her palm. Once she has learned to make the forms, she can make the connection with their meaning. Annie’s method is for Helen to “imitate now, understand later.” She later tells Kate it might take “a million and one words” before Helen understands.